AARP Foundation and Western Governors University to Enhance Scholarship Program for Students Over 40

Online university adds more than 100 scholarships valued at up to $5,000 per student

SALT LAKE CITY, Feb. 3 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Western Governors University and the AARP Foundation announced today that they have expanded the WGU Educational Assistance Program to offer an additional 114 scholarships to students over 40. The need-based program is designed to help adults over 40 complete a bachelor's or master's degree in high-demand fields, especially Education and Nursing. To date, more than 122 scholarships, with a combined total value of $575,000, have been awarded.

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Online and competency-based, WGU was created in 1997 by 19 U.S. governors with a mission to expand access to higher education. The private, non-profit university, which now has more than 17,000 students, offers accredited bachelor's and master's degree programs that are rigorous and challenging but flexible and affordable enough for adults with work and family responsibilities. Unlike many online universities, tuition at Western Governors University is roughly equivalent to that of a state college or university -- undergraduate tuition starts at less than $6,000 per year.

The AARP Foundation – WGU Educational Assistance Program provides a scholarship valued up to a maximum of $5,000 per student, awarded at the rate of $1,000 per six-month term for up to five terms. To be eligible for the scholarship, applicants must be at least 40 years of age, complete an application for admission to WGU, and demonstrate financial need. The program is competitive, and awards will be based on applicants' academic records, financial need, and readiness for online study at WGU. More information regarding the program and application information is available at www.wgu.edu/AARPScholarships or by calling 1-866-225-5948.

About Western Governors University (WGU)

"[WGU is] the best relatively cheap university you've never heard of."– TIME magazine

Recently featured on the NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams, WGU is the only online university in the U.S. offering competency-based degree programs. WGU programs are academically rigorous and designed for adults who are motivated and committed to earning a bachelor's or master's degree that supports their career objectives and meets the needs of employers.

WGU is regionally accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities and nationally accredited by the Distance Education and Training Council (DETC). WGU's Teachers College is the first and only exclusively online provider of teacher education to receive accreditation from the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE). WGU nursing programs have been accredited by the Commission for Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE).

The university has earned the support of more than 20 leading corporations and foundations. They include institutions such as AT&T, BearingPoint, Dell, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Hewlett-Packard, HCA, Microsoft, Oracle, Qwest, SunGard Higher Education, Sun Microsystems, and Zions Bank. More information is available at www.wgu.edu.

SOURCE Western Governors University